To Love And To Cherish
by Fandom-Geek17
Summary: This story follows Arya and Gendry from the day they get engaged to the day of their wedding. Ten chapters of wedding fluff because I love a good wedding, this story has a feel of those cozy wedding movies where the conflict is wedding hysteria! Modern AU!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! I have thought about and been planning this story for a while but never really got around to actually writing it, but in the light of our dear Gendry's return to the screen the Gendrya fandom has kind of resurrected. So I thought now was a good time, haha! I have the first couple of chapters written (it'll be 10 as a total), so we'll see how fast I get this out. This is just a fluffy wedding au because I love a good wedding, and I can't find many modern wedding stories for Arya and Gendry.**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 1

Arya moaned as Gendry licked at her, her straddling his face and him holding her still with a vice grip on her thighs. He'd already made her come twice and this was by far one of the best nights they'd had since they met three years ago. Gendry tightened his grip even further when she involuntarily jerked her hips when he kissed her clit. She was close, _so close_. She could literally feel it build in her lower abdomen.

"Gendry whatever you do, don't you dare fucking stop" Arya gasped loudly. Somehow she could feel Gendry smirk against her cunt before going back to work.

Suddenly it exploded and Arya wasn't sure if she saw colors or if her mind went blank. All she did know was that the pleasure was so consuming she could only really moan and gasp as she rode out her orgasm.

Carefully she rolled of Gendry and lay down next to him. He turned towards her and Arya wasted no time in grabbing the back of his neck and dragging his lips to hers for a last kiss. After several hours she was absolutely exhausted yet somehow she couldn't keep her hands of him. There was something about this day, this moment that made it so much more special than all their other times. If she said that out loud Gendry would have snorted and said _'well obviously'._

"I love you so much" Gendry whispered, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Arya smiled and caressed his cheek with her thumb. "I love you too." She wanted to live in this moment forever.

They settled themselves in the bed, Arya with her head on Gendry's chest and him with his arms around her. She suspected he was already asleep because his breathing was already steady and usually it wasn't so soon after they'd had sex unless he had fallen asleep. Arya didn't mind though. Instead she smirked to herself and lifted her left hand. There, on her ring finger, a ring glimmered.

XXX

" _Baby, I'm home" Arya called as she walked through the door of their house. It was a one store building but spacious with a large living room, a kitchen where all of Gendry's inner chef dreams could come true, two bedrooms besides their own, one of which they had converted into a study for the both of them where Gendry could prepare work for his students and Arya could work on her projects in peace, two bathrooms and a nice backyard._

" _In the kitchen" Gendry answered. "Wash your hands and help me set the table!" There was something different to his voice, she couldn't really put her finger on it but if she had to guess he almost sounded nervous. But Arya could smell grilled salmon and her stomach was growling so she put her thoughts aside and did as he said._

" _How're you doing?" she asked and gave him a kiss on the cheek before opening a cabinet to take out the plates. This had become a routine for them. They'd been dating for about three years and living together for two. Since he left work earlier than her he usually did the cooking._

" _Yeah good" Gendry answered. "How was your day?"_

" _I was given a new project." She opened another cabinet to take out two glasses._

" _No take the wine glasses" Gendry interrupted her. "I bought a bottle of some white wine the clerk said would go with fish" he added when Arya raised her eyebrow. "What was the project?"_

" _Well this couple wants to add a garage to their house and my boss gave me the project. I've set up a meeting with the construction company we usually work with to try and come up with something good."_

" _That's great, honey!" Yeah something was up, Arya thought. He sounded genuine but something was off._

" _Are you okay, Gendry? You sound strange."_

 _Gendry cleared his throat. "No everything's alright" he answered a bit too cheerful as he put the beans he'd been frying beside the grilled salmon._

" _Okay… Want me to get the wine?" Gendry nodded and Arya went to open the fridge where she presumed the wine would be. The first thing she saw, however, was two lemon cakes on a platter. "Baby, what's this?"_

 _Gendry turned around. "Oh… I baked." Arya quirked an eyebrow. Gendry was a great cook but he sure as hell couldn't bake and Arya knew that baking this kind of lemon cakes that she loved so much wasn't an easy task. "Okay" Gendry caved with a nervous laughter. "I stopped by the bakery on my way home from work."_

 _Arya tilted her head and smiled at him. "You didn't have to do that, you know."_

" _I know, but I wanted to." He grabbed the two plates with utensils and food balancing on them and Arya grabbed the wine bottle and the two glasses._

" _So is there a special reason you bought both wine and my favorite desert or was is just one of those romantic gestures?"_

" _Am not allowed to treat my girlfriend?"_

 _They settled at the dining table in the living room and Arya asked Gendry about his students. He worked as a high school history teacher. The funny thing about that is that history was the subject Arya liked the most in school. They had spent their entire first date talking about the ancient Targaryens and myths about Westeros._

 _And his students loved him. Gendry had a knack for letting even the most boring parts of his classes become fun. Apparently he gave his freshmen a pop quiz today and so for they had done surprisingly well despite the fact that he'd only covered the material once._

 _Later Arya told him about her thoughts and ideas for the garage she had been assigned to design. Gendry never doubted her architectural skills, given the fact that she designed their house by herself. The couple wanted to fit at least two cars inside so it wasn't going to be small._

 _Gendry insisted Arya sit back down when she offered to clear the table since he made dinner. She had noticed him getting more and more nervous as the night progressed. Even though she wanted to ask him again, Arya knew he would just deny everything. Almost desperate, she tried to convince herself that he wasn't breaking up. If he was, would he really go through all this trouble of cooking a delicious meal, buying her favorite desert and buy a brand new bottle of wine instead of just taking one of the bottles from their wine cabinet?_

" _Arya" Gendry started slowly._

" _Yes, Gendry?" she prompted for him to continue._

" _I- I'm not really sure how to do this so I'm just going to come out and say it." He cleared this throat before continuing. "These three years with you have really been the best years of my life." Arya felt her heart melt a little. Gendry took her hand in his. "I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."_

 _Without warning he rose from his chair, crossed the table and kneeled in front of her and took out a small blue box from his pocket. Arya's heart stopped, literally stopped. She didn't know what to do or what to think._

" _Will you marry me?"_

 _Suddenly she felt calm. Calmness was the last thing she thought she would be feeling. Most people would probably expect her to start screaming and freaking out due to her anti marriage stance. But this was a happy, excited calm because her anti marriage stance was from when she was little when she thought that marriage immediately equaled losing one's identity and freedom. Gendry was different, though. He would never try to change her, he loved and respected her. They were both two individuals, neither of them oppressed, both of them happy._

" _Yes" Arya answered breathlessly._

 _It took Gendry a moment to process what she had said. "Yes?"_

" _Yes!"_

 _Stupid smiles broke out on both of their faces as Gendry slid the ring on her finger. It was simple and Arya loved it. Gendry knew that she wouldn't want some giant rock on her finger. It was a white gold band with a single solitaire diamond._

 _Gendry picked her up and spun her around, nearly knocking over two chairs. He kissed her with so much passion and Arya couldn't do anything but respond to the kiss. This moment seemed so unreal yet at the same time nothing else existed between them. She was getting married! Who would ever have thought? Her dad maybe? Anyway she was too busy to think about that right now. The only thing fitting inside her head right now was Gendry._

 _Somehow they managed to navigate themselves through the living room and into the bedroom and fell down onto the bed._

XXX

Arya smiled at the memory of a few hours ago. Marriage… Until today it had been a foreign word in her personal life. The last wedding she went to was her brother Robb's when he married his wife Jeyne Westerling. She wasn't sure how he and Jon would react when they found out. Her mom and dad would be thrilled that their youngest daughter actually found someone she was willing to spend the rest of her life with. Sansa would freak, scream and squeal incoherent stuff about dresses, flowers and ceremonies. Bran on the other hand would just look her at with his head tilted and say that he never thought this day would come. The only thing Rickon would do was ask if there was going to be food at the wedding.

"What are you thinking about?" Gendry suddenly murmured.

"You're not asleep?" Arya retorted.

Gendry snorted. "No…"

"I was thinking about how my family will react when we tell them…"

"Were they good reactions?"

Arya turned in his embrace to look into his eyes and lean her chin on his chest. "Pretty much. I'm just unsure of how Robb and Jon are going to react."

"Baby, even though Robb and Jon were very protective of you when we started dating, I'd like to hope that they'd come to terms with our relationship after three years of dating. And shouldn't they be happy if you're happy?"

Arya nodded slowly. "I guess you're right, they should be happy for us, they will, right?"

"Of course they will, Arya!" Gendry took her hand and kissed it. "Stop worrying. Everything's going to be fine and this is something to celebrate, not worry about." Arya nodded.

"I love you" Arya whispered.

"I love you too, Arya."

"Hey" Arya suddenly said, a wicked idea popping up in her head. "Are you gonna grade papers tonight?"

"Hell no" Gendry laughed. "Tonight is all about us and they can survive one more day without their papers. And also I think they're probably going to appreciate me delaying the inevitable a bit further."

"Good, because I was thinking…" And she leaned in and whispered exactly what she was thinking in Gendry's ear. A smirk spread across his face.

 **Well there we have it! First chapter done! At first I imagined Gendry being the one nervous but then I wanted to flip it around and see Arya nervous about this change in their relationship, just because she's spent her life telling everyone and everything that she will never get married, and now she suddenly is. I thought that would be interesting to write. Some of you may agree, some of you won't. That's okay, I value all opinions.**

 **Leave a review with your thoughts! CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is welcome, because that's what'll help me get better. Hate doesn't lead anywhere good.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi my lovelies! Here's chapter two for you! Hope you like it!**

Chapter 2

Arya sighed and discreetly checked her watch. Fifteen minutes left… She was in the middle of the slow burn until her last meeting of the day finished. Most of them were with construction companies which the architectural company she worked for cooperated with. Arya had already given her presentations and was now mostly just pretending to listen to her boss talking about shit she already knew because she helped him organize it.

Later today it was the big day…well, the smaller bigger day. Not the wedding, obviously! That date wasn't decided yet, it had only been about a week since she and Gendry got engaged. They were, however, today telling Arya's family. Since her immediate family was quite big, Arya and Gendry felt it was probably best to just round them up and tell them all at once. Gendry's mom wasn't alive and Uncle Robert had died before Gendry had a chance to meet him.

It was Sunday so she wasn't even supposed to work, yet she was called in for emergency meetings as she and Gendry was having breakfast. Of course, being the gentleman that he was, Gendry said that it was fine and that he would take care of the cleaning that needed to be done before her family got there. Though Arya couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty.

"That wraps it up" her boss _finally_ said. "Thank you all for coming in despite your day off." Arya smiled as she packed her stuff in her bag. She was so ready to be out of there. "Arya, could a man speak to you for a moment?" Her boss had this weird habit of referring to himself in third person, a habit he most likely picked up in Braavos where he was originally from.

"Of course, Mr H'ghar" Arya answered, trying not to sound slightly disappointed that she couldn't leave just yet.

"A man just wanted to say congratulations." He smiled knowingly at her.

"Excuse me?" Jaqen H'ghar's eyes flashed to her left hand, and then she understood. "Oh… Thank you." Arya still hadn't gotten used to people staring at her hand disbelievingly, squealing, yanking her hand to get a closer look at the ring glimmering on her finger and telling her congratulations out of the blue.

"When's the wedding?" Arya and her boss had always had a good working relationship. They were comfortable talking about their personal lives yet still managed to keep a level of professionalism.

"Oh, that's not planned yet" Arya said quickly. "I've barely gotten used to being engaged, I think I'm staying engaged for a while before moving on to married."

"Yes, that does sound like you." Mr H'ghar cleared his throat and checked the time. "Have a good afternoon."

"You as well. I will see you tomorrow."

Jaqen H'ghar grabbed his belongings and walked away as Arya fished her phone from her pocket and started walking back to her office. Gendry answered on the third ring.

" _Hi, M'Lady how's it going?"_ There was a playful tone in his somehow rushed voice. Arya could hear the sound of a vacuum in the background.

"Everything's fine, my last meeting ended now so I'm on my way home. Is there anything I should pick up on the way?"

" _I haven't checked the fridge yet, but give me five minutes to finish this and I'll check. I was thinking about a chicken casserole for when your family comes over, easy and quite quick to prepare."_

"Sounds good. Send me a grocery list."

" _I will. See you soon!"_

"Bye."

Arya grabbed her jacket from the coat hanger in her office, made sure her computer was logged off and her blueprints were safely locked away in the cabinet. Then she closed the door behind her before walking to the elevator. In the elevator she bumped into one of the few people she didn't get along with at the House of Black and White – architectural industries. She wasn't even sure what her name was, but the woman looked like a waif, so Arya just referred to her as The Waif.

The Waif glanced at Arya's left hand and did a bad job of holding back a snort. Arya had no idea what she had done to piss the woman off. They had barely even spoken to each other. Maybe the Waif was always cranky…

As soon as the elevator made its characteristic bell sound and the doors swung open, Arya rushed out of there, not wanting to spend more time than she had to with the woman. Her car was parked in the end of the huge parking lot belonging to the building. The House of B&W's main office resided in Braavos, but Arya didn't want to live so far away from her family. Thankfully, there was an office in White Harbor, right outside of Winterfell. Gendry had grown up in King's Landing but there was really nothing for him there, so he took the first teaching job he was offered when applying, which just so happened to be in White Harbor.

Speaking of the devil, Arya checked her phone and saw that Gendry had sent her a grocery list containing all of three items. Garlic, cheese and rice. She chuckled slightly and threw her bag the back seat before sitting in the driver's seat and leaving the parking lot. The drive to the nearest supermarket only took about ten minutes. With a quickness that surprised even herself, Arya bought the three items. She texted Gendry that she was on her way home.

XXX

Arya sighed again and checked the casserole for what was probably the tenth time, even though she knew perfectly that it wasn't ready. Somehow it felt like the stupid dish was counting down the minutes until her family arrived.

"Nervous, M'Lady?" Gendry smirked from behind her.

"Tell me why I shouldn't be" Arya retorted.

Gendry walked up behind her and removed her Arya's hair from her shoulder. He reassuringly kissed the junction between her shoulder and neck. "Because you have nothing to be nervous about. Everything's going to be fine and they're all going to be happy, okay?"

"Yeah…" Arya answered. "You're right…" The bell rung. "Shit!"

"Let the show begin" Gendry laughed and took Arya's hand as they walked to open the door.

Jon was the first to arrive. Ygritte was supposed to come with but she couldn't get out of work. When Arya and Gendry first met Jon played the part of the extremely overprotective brother but soon he and Gendry bonded and now they almost ganged up on Arya as she and Rickon ganged up on all their siblings. Next came Arya's parents.

"So, Arya" her mom started, trying to be subtle but obviously probing. "Why did you two decide to throw an all family gathering?"

"Family, duty, honor, mom. Remember?" Arya answered, sarcastically reciting the motto of her mother's family. "Family first."

Soon after came Bran, Rickon and Sansa and lastly came Robb and Jeyne, which was good because the food was ready. During dinner Sansa blabbed on and on about some fashion runway thing she had attended for work. Sansa worked as senior editor for the fashion department on one of Westeros' tabloids. She often went to runway shows, interviewed famous designers and wore the latest from every Westerosi designer at benefits and finer gatherings. It also didn't hurt that one of her best friends, Margaery Tyrell, was a well known fashion designer. Sansa always got the scoop first hand on Margaery's latest collections.

Later Arya's dad and Robb went into detail on the family company's latest endeavor. They talked about statistics and budget whilst Arya gave Gendry a meaningful look and he nodded in approval. It was time…

Arya cleared her throat and the room quieted. "Can I just interject real quick?" she said, although it wasn't really a question. Ned nodded with a smile. "Good. Okay, uhm… As mom so obviously probed about earlier…" Catelyn quirked and eyebrow in her daughter's direction. "…there was a special reason behind why we dragged you all here today." Sansa's eyes were big as saucers. Surely she suspected what Arya was about to tell them all. Arya took a deep breath. It was probably best just to say it and let the cat out of the bag. "Gendry and I are getting married."

A loud squeal filled the room. As Arya and Gendry had speculated, Sansa was the first to react. She flew up from her chair as if someone had set her rear on fire and ran around the table before grabbing Arya's face not so gently with her hands. "Arya Lyanna Stark! Tell me you aren't joking!" Sansa screamed.

"I'll tell you whatever you want, just lower your pitch" Arya complained. "Your screeching is making my eardrums burst." Sansa only did the opposite, she squealed even higher and embraced her sister in a bone crushing hug.

"My little sister's getting married!" Arya wasn't sure if Sansa was laughing or crying, or both. "I knew you were one to keep!" Sansa added in Gendry's direction.

Meanwhile, pretty much everyone else had risen from the table as well. Robb and Jeyne had each given Gendry a hug and 'congratulations' each. Ned and Catelyn hugged each other first and foremost, probably just celebrating that their wild wolf of a daughter was even tying the knot in the first place.

"Oh my sweet little girl" Ned said, something wet in the corners of his eyes. He released Arya from her sister's vice grip.

"We're so happy!" Catelyn finished for her husband when he couldn't find the words.

"I never thought this day would come" Arya heard Bran whisper to Rickon across the table. She rolled her eyes when Rickon answered;

"As long as they're serving food after the ceremony, I'm cool…"

Jon was the only one still sitting down. He was staring blankly at his sister and her fiancé with his mouth so wide open Arya was sure she could fit a whole spaceship in there. She walked away from the group of people surrounding her and Gendry, with Gendry trailing after her.

"Jon?" she said carefully.

"You're getting married?" Jon asked hoarsely, sounding as if he hadn't really grasped the concept.

"Yes, Jon, I'm getting married" Arya answered, smiling. " _We're_ getting married. Me and Gendry." When Jon didn't answer, she added: "Are you okay?"

Jon turned towards Gendry. "I'm not sure whether to punch you for stealing my sister away from me or to hug you because I know you'll make an amazing brother in law."

Gendry laughed. "Well if you're going to punch me, please do it now so it has time to heal before the ceremony."

Jon was quiet for a moment. Then he rose from his seat and gently pulled Arya to him in a brotherly embrace. Arya always felt so safe in his arms. Jon was warm and he smelled like home, like Winterfell and something that was so undoubtedly him. It was a smell she always associated with calmness and safety. He pressed a kiss to her temple and then let her go before turning to Gendry. "I'll go with hugging" Jon said and gave Gendry one of those man-hugs.

The rest of the night progressed smoothly. As expected, Rickon started asking about food and the menu they had planned for the wedding. Of course they hadn't planned anything yet. They were still getting used to the feeling of being engaged.

By 10 pm, the entire Stark family had left and Gendry was just about to start clearing the dishes from the counter when Arya quietly showed up behind him. She gently stroked her way across his back and Gendry's movements stopped instantly. "We can do this tomorrow" she whispered. Her hand moved on from his back to his arm and Gendry put the plate he'd been holding down.

Arya couldn't count the times they'd had sex, but what amazed her was that she still felt the anticipation every single time. Gendry turned around in Arya's half embrace and without a word picked her up by her by the thighs. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Oh, you sexy creature" Gendry murmured in his deep, raspy, voice. He put her down on their dining room table which happened to be empty. Arya smirked. She had always had a thing for table sex and Gendry knew that perfectly well. Arya leaned down on the table, knowing that she'd be properly taken care of.

 **Hope you liked it! Let me know your thoughts! I didn't go all the way with Jaqen's speech patterns because I wanted to keep him grounded, he still refers to himself in third person but others by their name.**

 **Leave a review! XXX**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi! I don't really have much to say, so just enjoy the chapter, I guess!**

Chapter 3

Arya couldn't believe that she had been woken up by a cell phone at 10 am on a Saturday. Saturdays was hers and Gendry's special stay in bed and be lazy all day kind of day. It was the one day where she could certainly sleep in. At first Arya thought the ring tone had been part of her dream but when she woke up she realized that wasn't the case.

"Gendry, answer your fucking phone" Arya grumbled, digging herself deeper into the covers.

Gendry grumbled back at her in response. "That's _your_ phone, Arya! You answer!"

Arya listened for a moment and realized that he was in fact right, that was her phone. She stretched out and reached for her phone on the bedside table. "Hello?" Her voice was hoarse and she had no idea who was on the other line since she hadn't bothered to check the name on her screen.

" _Oh my god, Arya, you haven't even stepped out of bed yet!"_

Arya recognized that voice and as much as she loved her sister, this was too early for her antics. "What is it, Sansa?"

Her sister sighed on the other line. _"You and Gendry are supposed to be here in an hour! Mom wants you here in time before the other guests arrive."_

An hour? Other guests? What was Sansa on about? "What are you talking about?"

Suddenly Sansa gasped on the other line. _"Oh, turnip!"_ If Arya hadn't been so tired, she'd have snorted at Sansa's refusal to use real curse words. _"I was supposed to tell you yesterday! I'm so sorry! Mom's throwing you and Gendry an engagement party! Today at one!"_

Arya's eyebrows raised, both in disbelief and annoyance. This was not happening! She was too well in tune with her mother's taste in parties. Robb's engagement party had hosted half of Westeros. "You're kidding! Sansa how could you let this happen?"

" _Dad tried to convince her not to do it! He said you and Gendry wouldn't want a huge celebration. But you know how mom is, and this is also the first time her daughter is getting married so it's probably a big thing for her."_

Arya groaned loudly. "For fucks sake!" She could practically hear her sister shudder on the other line. "Fine! We're on our way." And then she hung up. "Get up" she told Gendry and forced herself to do the same.

"What's going on" he asked and made a beeline for the bathroom.

"Mom is throwing us a surprise engagement party. Should I be flattered or annoyed?"

Gendry snorted. "Both?"

They dressed in silence and had a cup of coffee each before locking behind them and getting in the car. Arya wore the same dark purple dress she wore to Robb's engagement party. She wasn't sure if tradition said she should wear white since she was the future bride. Anyhow, she didn't care. She wasn't traditional and she doubted that it would rain disgrace down upon her because she didn't wear white to the engagement party she didn't want.

As soon as they parked the car outside of the Stark Estate, Arya knew that she had been right in her suspicions. Gendry just laughed when she saw it but Arya let out a sound of annoyance. A huge banner had been hung above the front door. It had a horrible pink color and the writing was in gold, in a fancy handwriting.

 _Arya & Gendry_

"Is she joking?" Arya said in disbelief and looked at the banner as if she couldn't believe her eyes.

"I think it's quite sweet" Gendry laughed. "She cares, Arya. Look at it that way."

Arya muttered some curse words under her breath. "I guess you're right. Come on."

When they stepped out of the car they were greeted by Sansa who came flying down the stairs to the porch, wearing a dress the same color as the sky, a _Margaery Tyrell original_ no doubt. "Arya! Gendry!" she called. "You both look great! Mom and dad are inside preparing the last. Come on, they'll want to take pictures before everyone else arrives."

They followed Sansa inside and Arya noticed that the same color scheme as the banner was used inside. Pink flower bouquets were spread out across the house, the fine china with the golden print had been set out at a table their mother was currently filling with dishes of different kinds, one of those flower hearts with both of their names in the middle had been set out on another table. The heart was also made of pink flowers and golden details.

"Oh, you're here" Catelyn Stark said when she noticed them. "Good. Ned, dear, would you finish plating so I can take some pictures of our two lovebirds?"

Arya's dad nodded and gave Arya a kiss on the cheek and Gendry a firm handshake. Her mom placed her and Gendry between two vases with especially big bouquets.

"Mom" Arya started after a particularly strong flash accompanied with a photo. "This isn't going to be a giant thing, is it?"

"Oh no" her mom answered reassuringly. "Just family and our closest friends. Now, could you hold hands in front of each other so you can see the ring. Okay just like that. Smile!"

Arya felt as if that one flash nearly blinded her, but if it would make her mother happy, she was willing to suffer through it. "Are you sure about that, though? I remember Robb's engagement party!"

"Darling, don't worry!" Catelyn took another photo. "Just enjoy yourselves."

XXX

"Mom these are _way_ too many people" Arya hissed as she looked upon the crowd that had gathered around the house. "There's no way we're inviting all of these people to the wedding. It'll just be awkward!"

Catelyn sighed and casted an annoyed glance at her daughter. "Oh, honestly, Arya!"

"It's got to be what, seventy people here?"

Her mom sighed again. "Sixty-five."

That proved Arya's point. "Mom, listen. I appreciate the gesture but do you realize how awkward it'll be when we don't invite some of these people to the wedding. We just want something small."

A slightly compassionate smile spread across Catelyn's face. "I understand that, but just try to enjoy yourselves."

Arya tried to follow her mother's advice despite feeling bad. She and Gendry had talked about it. They hadn't discussed any real details yet but they had mutually agreed on a small wedding, not inviting over fifty people, and that was stretching it.

Nonetheless, she and Gendry gracefully accepted every 'congratulations' they received, but Arya couldn't help but keep an inner debate. Would they, or wouldn't they invite this person. Most of the guests were people Arya only knew through her mother's gatherings so they didn't really have a reason to invite them since Gendry didn't know them either. It was mostly just the principle of inviting someone to the engagement party but not the wedding.

She could see Gendry was thinking within the same lines, but he had always respected her mother's antics. Of course there had been times when he had stood up to both her and Arya's father, but those times had been when he felt it was needed. Right now, he probably thought what Arya did deep inside that her mother was doing this out of love for them and delight over the situation.

"Gendry!" an excited voice called throughout the living room. They turned around and saw Gendry's cousin Shireen come running towards them with her father Stannis walking slowly behind her. Stannis had never really shown any kind of emotion towards Gendry.

"Hi, Shireen" Gendry answered and gave her a quick hug. Shireen was almost as tiny as Arya and nearly disappeared within the hug.

"Hi, Arya! Congrats! I'm so happy for you both." She hugged Arya as well and faced them both with an exciting smile on her face. "Have you made any plans for the wedding yet?"

Arya gave Gendry a look that was both amused and slightly annoyed. "No not yet, we're mostly just enjoying being engaged right now." As the day went on, Arya had lost track of how many times they had been asked that question.

"Well I'm here if you need any help what so ever!" Not even the scars on Shireen's face could conceal her excitement. Ever since Arya had known her, Shireen had always been such a cinnamon roll, sweet and endearing to everyone she met, living in a world of literature as she worked on her tenure at university.

Gendry gave her that one special smile Arya knew he always saved for her. It was the smile on an older brother looking down at his baby sister. Maybe it wasn't biological, but Gendry looked at her like a sister. "That's really kind of you, Shireen. Thank you."

XXX

Later in the day, with some food in her belly and a glass of wine in her hand, Arya felt like it was all running a lot more smoothly. After she had greeted everyone and she was free to wander wherever she wanted. As most people had gathered in the bigger hall where all the food had been served, she wandered into a room that was rarely used.

It was sort of a ballroom but at the same time it wasn't. It was big and spacious with glass doors that lead to the back yard with their weirwood tree. Along the wall with the doors there was also normal windows in the same style as the door. A simple but beautiful chandelier hung from the ceiling. Robb's engagement party had been held in here, there were tables and chairs in the basement that had been used then.

She walked up to the glass doors and looked out at the tree. Its majestic white stem stretched up into the air and spreading out in beautiful dark red leaves. A face was carved into the stem. Arya wasn't sure which of her family members had carved it in, it probably happened even before her father was even born. The Stark mansion had been handed down from generation to generation.

The tree was the foundation for their family's beliefs. Few people still chose to follow the Old Gods but her family did. At times she could still catch her father sitting by the tree, wordless, just trying to find solace and comfort. Her mother came from a family who worshipped The Seven and whilst her mother never converted completely, she did marry her dad in a ceremony in style of the Old Gods.

If she was going to be completely honest with herself, she couldn't imagine getting married any other way… Gendry had never been very religious to begin with. If he had to choose a god, Arya guessed he would probably choose the Red God since many of his old high school friends followed the religion and Gendry got a bit swayed. But he had never been an active supporter of any religion.

"Baby?" Gendry stood leaning against the door to the bigger hall. "Everything okay?"

Arya smiled at him. An idea had just popped up into her head. "I'm fine. Come here, I want to show you something." Gendry did as she asked and placed himself behind her with his hand on her waist. "Would you mind getting married in sight of the Old Gods?"

She could almost feel Gendry smile at her careful tone. "What are you thinking?" he asked and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"Well" she started and leaned into his giant frame. "I was thinking that we could have the ceremony out in the back yard, we could open the doors here so people could walk in and out easily and the food can be in here." Gendry didn't immediately answer so suddenly Arya became nervous. Did he think the idea was bad? "Only if you want to I mean! We don't have to do it, of course. If you'd rather get married somewhere else or in another way that's fine! We don't have to decide right away we could just-"

She was cut off by Gendry leaning forward and pressing a quick kiss to her lips to silence her. He looked at her with so much love and affection, Gendry was the first and only person to ever give that look and she loved him to death for it. "I think it sounds wonderful."

Arya turned around in his embrace and wrapped her arms around his waist. "So you'd like that?"

"Yes. I think that would be amazing, it suits us."

"It does, doesn't it?" Arya smirked at him. "But I can promise you one thing. This right here, will _not_ be the color scheme of the wedding." That hideous pink color would make it anywhere near hers and Gendry's wedding.

Gendry looked down at her and laughed. His eyes were just as sly as hers. "Good…" And their lips locked in a passionate kiss.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Hi everyone, I'm sorry it's been a while. School has been really hectic but now I'm back with a new chapter. Read and review!**

Chapter 4

It had been about a month since Arya and Gendry got engaged. Their planning for the wedding had begun but it was still only the basics, they had decided to get married at her parents' house with a maximum of fifty guests, but the date wasn't decided yet no matter how much Sansa kept nagging Arya that she and Gendry needed to make a plan.

But they weren't in a rush! They loved each other and knew that they wanted to get married. Weddings were expensive and Arya wasn't ready to delve into anything rapidly without a plan and the only people she would let near that plan were her and Gendry. If she let her mom or Sansa near the planning, it would end up in a gala for all of Westeros' socialites. Neither she nor Gendry wanted that.

Arya checked her watch. Half an hour until lunch break, she was starving and had a craving for that Braavosi restaurant a couple of blocks away. They had the most amazing seafood. When Arya first started her career as an architect she had an internship at the original House of Black and White in Braavos, and later when she got a permanent assignment at their Westeros office, this was the only restaurant in Westeros she could find that served food just as good as in Braavos.

As she looked at the background of her phone, a picture of her and Gendry, she thought about the fact that she almost hadn't seen him this week. He had been busy at work, preparing a huge test for his students and Arya was swamped with a project she and Jaqen, her boss, were working on. Of course they saw each other during the morning and evening but it wasn't really same as _seeing each other_. Sure they lived together but they had rarely spent time together this past week.

Time slowly passed and Arya continued to work on angles for a roof on her computer. Jaqen wanted her to design several different versions. As soon as the clock struck 12:00 she grabbed her purse and jacket and left the building. Arya did have a lunch box but she really wanted to see Gendry and have Braavosi seafood so she figured kidnapping Gendry during his lunch break was a good solution.

Gendry worked at Wintertown High School which was only a ten minute drive from Arya's workplace. Since she had kidnapped him before every now and again during their years of being together, his colleagues and fellow teachers knew who she was by now.

His classroom was located on the second floor so she hiked the stairs up. On her way she ran into Jeyne Heddle, the home make teacher. She was one of Gendry's best friends at the work place.

"Hey, Arya" Jeyne said and gave Arya a careful hug. She was quite plain. Jeyne didn't say much unless the other person started conversation but she was kind and thoughtful to everyone.

"Hello" Arya answered. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Congratulations!"

It took a second for Arya to realize what Jeyne was referring to, and then she understood. After understanding, however, came confusion. "How did you know?"

Jeyne smiled at her. "Gendry came to me asking for advice before asking you."

Of course he did! Arya and Jeyne were quite similar in a way. They both liked to keep it simple. Jeyne knew that about Arya and of course she would suggest Gendry make it into a romantic night in. She probably understood Arya would have been flustered at a giant surprise at a restaurant. "Well you did a good job" Arya smiled back. "It really was perfect."

Jeyne smiled at her. "Gendry is in the history room."

Arya said her thanks and walked over to Gendry's classroom. She peeked in through the small window in the door. Gendry half sat on his desk, something he usually did towards the end of his class, when he didn't use the whiteboard anymore. She could see him gesturing towards a student, probably to indicate she had a question. But then his head turned to her direction and their eyes met.

 _Shit!_

She was caught. This had happened before but it was still a bit embarrassing. Gendry, however, smiled at her knowingly. He dismissed the class and the students started to gather their stuff. One of the students lingered as Arya stepped in.

Weasel. Her actual name was Weronica but everyone called her Weasel (except Gendry, he had to refer to his students by their actual name in class), Arya wasn't sure why that was her nickname. Maybe it was because she was very petite? Gendry had talked about here once or twice.

"Hi, miss Stark" she said and waved.

Arya cringed inwardly but smiled. "Miss Stark was my mom thirty years ago. I'm Arya."

"Well soon you'll be Mrs Waters" Gendry teased and winked at her. Arya's cheeks flushed slightly as she saw the understanding wash over Weasel's face.

"Oh my god" Weasel gasped. "Congrats!" She took a quick look at her watch. "I have to go now, but thank you, Mr Waters, for looking at my essay. And congrats again!"

"I'll see you tomorrow, Weronica." When Weasel had left, Gendry pulled Arya towards him by the arm. He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Hello future Mrs Waters."

"Mrs _Waters Stark_ , Gendry" Arya smirked up at him. "I love you, but that won't stop me from keeping the Stark name."

Gendry chuckled at her and kissed her forehead. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you." He hadn't shaved in a couple of days and Arya could feel his scruff against her skin. She wanted to feel that scruff against her inner thighs ton- Nope! Not going there, not here. "I suspect you're here to kidnap me" Gendry said, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"I am" Arya answered. "I'm craving Braavosi from the restaurant around the corner."

"Well then let's go!"

They walked hand in hand to the restaurant. It was very close by and it was a beautiful day with some rare sunshine. Soon enough the topic of their conversation drifted off to the wedding. Mostly the guest list. Fifty guests were really the maximum max, the best would be to have an even lower number. But every person they decided on came with family.

"We have to invite Shireen" Gendry said, no doubt what so ever.

"Of course we're inviting Shireen, and Renly" Arya answered as they were seated. There really wasn't any other choice. Those two almost literally saved Gendry's life.

He was nineteen. His mother had just died and Gendry had to put all his savings into her funeral which had left him as poor as he could possibly be without being homeless yet. He worked both day and night at a small grocery store but that still wasn't enough to cover his bills. After Robert Baratheon's death, shortly after his mother's, Shireen had started to dig into Robert's past. With that, she found Gendry. She immediately sought him out to tell him about his father.

Unsurprisingly, Gendry hadn't really cared about his father's death. The man hadn't bothered to make his presence known during any part of Gendry's life. He had left Gendry and his mom to fend for themselves. Why would he care?

Though it had probably been fait that Shireen had showed up when she did. Gendry had tried to hide the eviction warning in the kitchen when he made them both coffee, Shireen had seen it anyway. She refused to let him stay by himself anymore. Robert Baratheon may not have cared, but she sure as hell did. No cousin of hers was going to stay on the streets. Stannis, of course, refused to let Gendry move in, being the stiff asshole that he is.

Renly was a different story. The next day, Shireen had brought her favorite uncle to see his nephew. He, like Shireen, refused to let Gendry stay in his current situation. Gendry's pride and stubbornness at first wanted to say no to the spare room that Renly offered, but he quickly realized the prospect of his life if he did say no.

With Shireen's help, Gendry moved in with Renly who embraced him like both a son, brother and a nephew. After Gendry let it slip that he secretly wanted to become a teacher, Renly swore to help him through all the years of schooling that would take. Years later, Gendry graduated and became the history teacher he was today. If it hadn't been for Renly and Shireen… Well neither Arya nor Gendry wanted to think about where Gendry would be today.

The couple kept talking about the guest list for a while before the waiter arrived with the menus and the topic immediately became food. Arya loved their spicy shrimp and clam stew. It had been her absolute favorite in Braavos, maybe anywhere.

Actually, nothing could beat her mother's mutton stew with root vegetables and sweet potatoes. She had grown up with the robust, hearty cuisine of northern Westeros, it was what she associated with home. Though she had lived of the spicy, seafood of Braavos for years. Both cuisines had a place in her heart.

"I guess you're going for that clam-shrimp thing" Gendry said from behind his menu. He usually opted for a grilled salmon with lemongrass and garlic.

"Obviously, stupid" Arya smiled cheekily at him. "Do we want wine?"

Gendry shook his head. "I don't, you can order a glass if you want. I don't want to drink before work's over." It was probably best if Arya did the same, her colleagues didn't need to encounter her smelling of alcohol.

As they waited for their lunch, Arya told Gendry about a text she had received from Sansa, nagging them to decide on a date and a colour theme. Attached to the text came several pictures of different colour combinations. All of them had white as a base colour expect two that were pale pink. Arya instantly refused the pink ones, and Gendry couldn't do anything but agree. He had never liked pink either. The one thing they both agreed on from Sansa's suggestions were the base colour white.

Arya had jokingly suggested black as a base colour, only being half serious. Gendry had laughed and said that her mom and Sansa would never forgive them for a black colour theme at a wedding.

"What about blue?" Gendry asked as they ate. "The blue winter rose is your favorite flower after all, we could have that as a theme." A smile lightened up Arya's face. Gendry certainly wasn't stupid all the time, if there hadn't been a table between them, Arya would have kissed him.

"That's perfect, Gendry."

The rest of their lunch break surpassed in peace and Arya was happy. Both to finally have some quality time with her fiancé, but also to finally be able to answer some of Sansa's constant questions about their impending wedding ceremony.

 **Well there you have it! Leave a review! See you soon!**


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